Ryan Johnson stifles Rangers as Angels' rotation stays hot

Jeff Fletcher, The Orange County Register on Aug 22, 2026

Published in Baseball

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Ryan Johnson, who just a few weeks ago was pitching so poorly that he was sent to the minors, has suddenly become a part of an Angels rotation that is having a week to give the Angels hope for the future.

Johnson took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and he finished by allowing one hit in seven innings in the Angels’ 3-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.

It was the fourth time in five games on this trip that an Angels starter went at least six innings without allowing an earned run. Right-hander George Klassen, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez and left-hander Reid Detmers had also done it.

The “worst” start of the week has been from the pitcher who has been their best starter. Right-hander Walbert Ureña gave up three runs in five innings in a loss on Wednesday.

Johnson got just enough support from a lineup that produced nine hits, including Zach Neto’s two doubles and a triple and two hits from Mike Trout.

Johnson was optioned to Triple-A on July 31, after back-to-back starts in which he allowed at least five runs. A few days later, though, the Angels traded José Soriano and he was back.

Since then, Johnson has a 1.69 ERA in four starts.

The last three have coincided with the transition with the Angels pitching coaches. Since interim pitching coach Tim Leveque took over last week, one of the changes has been having the pitchers simplify their game plans, focusing on their strengths more than the hitters’ weaknesses.

In Johnson’s case, that has meant throwing more cutters and fewer fastballs. Up until recently, he was throwing the cutter slightly more often than the sinker. In his last two starts, he’s thrown 94 cutters and nine sinkers.

Johnson started out the game using all of his pitches, but as the game wore on, he leaned more and more on his cutter. His sweeper was also effective, generating seven whiffs on 14 swings.

Johnson retired the first six hitters of the game before hitting Jake Burger with a pitch. He then got a double play.

The Rangers didn’t get a hit until Cody Freeman led off the sixth with a clean line drive into left field. Two outs later, Johnson walked Corey Seager, facing his first jam of the game. He escaped when Wyatt Langford hit a dribbler in front of the mound, and Johnson threw him out at first.

After Johnson’s day ended, the Angels (52-78) closed it out with Michael Fulmer in the eighth and Ryan Watson in the ninth.

The offense was sparked by Neto and Trout, who had been in a 1-for-17 slump coming into the game.

In the first inning, Neto led off with a double and then Trout drove him in with a bloop single into center. Trout led off the sixth with a double, and then he scored on Moisés Ballesteros’ double off the fence in right-center. Ballesteros narrowly missed his first Angels’ homer.

Neto led off the eighth with a triple and he scored on a Vaughn Grissom single.